Space Age Love Song
by Tsar Bomba
Summary: Granted, their strange saga did not exactly follow the ancient path of love. It was an oddity that seemed destined to fail. Sheer determination goes a long way though. Liara/Female Shepard. A series of loosely connected one-shots.
1. Chapter 1

Well, so I finally played Mass Effect 3 and, consequently, 2, and I've pretty much fallen in love with Liara. Like it's sad. So I'm dealing with my angst over a fake video game alien character by writing about her and my FemShep. This is going to be a series of loosely connected one-shots starting at the very beginning of Mass Effect 2 and ending... whenever the hell I want them to end. Some will be funny. Some will be sad. Some will be angsty and fluffy and others will be sweet sweet smut. We'll see! As with all of my stories, each chapter is inspired by a song. Sour Times - Portishead

* * *

_Sour Times_

It took the firm but rough hands clamped around her shoulders for Liara to realize that she was screaming. Unconsciously she had flung herself at the escape pod doors, hands tearing at the metal as she tried to force her way out. Garrus had grabbed her arms, pulled them behind her back, and forced her to watch through the glass as Marlow Shepard was flung out into space, her spinning but otherwise prone form flying through the flaming debris. Forced her to watch but do nothing.

It was stupidly irrational, but part of her was still horribly bitter with the turian for that. Of course, he hadn't meant to cause her pain. All Garrus had tried to do was help her, but even he had left after the Normandy's destruction. Just like everybody else had.

Garrus. Ashley Williams. Joker. Tali'Zorah. All of them were gone. All of them had already forgotten and moved on.

It was Liara, and only Liara, who had discovered the charred and still burning crash site of the Normandy to only find scraps of metal and pieces of destroyed armor. It was Liara who had lost and abandoned everything she knew just to find a body to bury. And it was Liara who now stood in her apartment, staring with empty, dead eyes at the steel box on her table.

Feron was dead. She had not seem him fall, but she had seen the sheer number of men that the Shadow Broker had, in a fury, sent after her and his "property" as she fled with the box in her arms. She had left the drell behind, without remorse. It was painfully selfish, but she would do it again if it meant getting Marlow back.

Marlow. All that was left of her fit, chillingly, into a box that was too small and too light to hold a person. What had been a person.

Bracing herself, the asari took a few shaky steps towards the table, her hand lightly running over the top before releasing the metal snaps that held the lid on.

A cold wave of absolute despair washed over Liara, and the lid fell from deadened, numb fingers. All of the armor save for her chestplate had either burned off or fused with the blackened flesh. Shepard was in pieces, but it was her face that brought Liara the most overwhelming grief.

The silky, honey colored hair that Liara used to rake her fingers through was burned from her skull. The gunmetal gray eyes that she used to look into for what felt like an eternity had ruptured, leaving empty, bloody sockets. The lips she used to kiss were blackened and twisted into a frozen grimace. Unconsciously, Liara reached out towards the woman, but stopped suddenly. With no small amount of bitterness, she realized that Cerberus wouldn't want the body even more destroyed than it already was.

"The body." Liara muttered, the words leaving a sour taste on her tongue. This was Marlow. This was the only woman she would ever love. And she was handing her over to terrorists. Again, it was selfish of her. But again, she would do anything.

Suddenly a polite but firm knocking at her door shattered the oppressive but somehow comforting silence Liara had shared with Shepard, and she knew that Cerberus had come to claim the sole focus of their newest project. With a heavy heart, she slid the lid back onto the box and once again shrouded the commander in darkness.

The two Cerberus soldiers had moved past her and into the apartment without a word, but the dark-haired woman that had to be Operative Lawson paused to offer the asari a slight nod. "Good, did you have any trouble recovering her?"

But Liara ignored the woman and swiftly moved back to Shepard, roughly pushing away the clumsy hands that had reached for the box. "Stop," she whispered hoarsely, taking the box possessively into her own arms, clutching it tightly to her chest. "Wait, just-"

"Dr. T'Soni, we had an agreement." The operative said impatiently, moving to stand at the asari's side. But then she saw that the top of the steel box was already wet with tears. Miranda Lawson's stern face softened just slightly, and her eyes shifted to meet Liara's. "She will be back, Dr. T'Soni, but you have to trust me."

Trust. After everyone else had abandoned Shepard and gone their own way, trust was something that Liara did not have. Especially not in Cerberus. Not in this strange woman. Not after seeing what she had seen. But what alternatives did she have? Let Marlow rot in her apartment, just because of greed and fear? No, not when there was a chance to bring her back.

Liara turned, placed the box into Lawson's waiting arms, and finally broke.

As the doors shut behind her, Miranda heard, and tried to ignore, the soft rustle as Liara collapsed to the ground, her sobs barely muffled by her hands as Marlow Shepard left her once again. Once again, Liara had lost her.


	2. Chapter 2

I know it is unconventional to post more than one chapter in one night, but it's best for me to keep going while I'm motivated and actually have the time to post stuff. God knows how difficult it is for me to stay focused on one thing. Plus, well, I don't exactly write the longest chapters out there. Inspiration derived from Nice Dream - Radiohead

* * *

_Nice Dream_

It was easy to fall into the trap. The hero-worship. This fascination with a dead icon. This love for a woman she had never even spoken to.

Looking back, the Cerberus operative feels almost guilty for the total lack of sympathy she had felt for Dr. T'Soni when the corpse had been obtained. She had never known love. Not even desire. Her life had been her work, feelings had been firmly ignored, and the overwhelming display of sheer emotion from the diminutive appearing asari had shocked her. Until now, she had thought that that level of devotion towards another individual was foolish and wasteful. It was easier to say you were fighting for humanity as a whole, not just one person. This is what Cerberus was for, after all. And this what she herself used to believe.

Honestly, she wished she still did.

Nerve by nerve, Marlow Shepard was rebuilt. Bits of shattered bone, ripped slivers of blackened skin, short strands of hair. This is what Project Lazarus had. That and hours of video footage, peer interviews, surveys and personal testimonies. Recordings of awards ceremonies, survelliance footage and even some thrilling viewings of Shepard in action. Miranda Lawson poured over reports, statements, service records, everything she could get her hands on. But even with all this knowledge, it was not Marlow Shepard that Miranda was supposed to be rebuilding. She was merely a machine, a living weapon, a scientific triumph, or as the Illusive Man preferred, a tool.

But it was when Shepard began to take shape, began to look human, that for the first time Miranda realized that this wasn't some toy she was playing with. This wasn't a puzzle and she was certainly not, to her dismay, a project. Not anymore.

To say that she was impressed was a grotesque understatement. This woman was a bloody icon. A hero. A being who had achieved greatness and her own form of perfection not through careful genetic engineering, but through sheer will and ability. This was why, when other researchers with Project Lazarus began to recommend enhancements, such as improving eyesight or hearing, Miranda had angrily refused. She refused the enhanced optics, the addition of more Element Zero nodules, the improved balance. She denied it all, for anything that was not purely Shepard seemed so wrong. This was also why, much to her dismay, that Operative Lawson found herself falling for the corpse in the med bay.

She found herself carefully running the tips of her fingers through the honey colored hair that she had sculpted into a bob to match Marlow's previous look. Gently opening the eyelids to glance at the steely irises. Even putting damn chapstick on the lips to keep them from cracking. Of course, the other researchers who caught her in these acts dismissed them as the obsessive actions of a mother doting on her special, gifted child. Miranda was grateful for this misunderstanding.

Of course, this was horribly stupid of her. This ridiculous fascination with a woman who was already claimed, even if she didn't know it yet. It was a nice little dream though, almost fairytale. The dead hero falling in love with her savior. But Miranda knew that even this was a lie. It was that damn asari that had stolen Shepard's corpse from under the Shadow Broker. She was the true savior in this messed up story.

Miranda fights back what she knows is jealousy, because it is a petty notion. One that she is above. After all, she is smart enough to know that this little dream of hers is already dead.

She knows this because Marlow Shepard wakes up. Too early, far too early. Too early even for memories. She shouldn't have had any, not yet. No recollections of any recent events. But even as Miranda stood at her side, her fingers softly wrapped around Shepard's in an attempt to calm her as Wilson quickly pumped more sedatives into her body, it was the word "Liara" that formed on her lips. Even Shepard herself looked confused, as she did not seem to know or understand what that one word meant. Miranda had flinched, felt her jaw tighten, but had cradled Marlow's head in her other hand until the eyes had shut once more, the vitals returned to normal and a deep sleep was reestablished.

That had hurt, and Miranda vividly remembers channeling her anger and frustrated towards Wilson, who had barely been allowed near Marlow after that incident. That experience alone had nearly driven her to put that infernal control chip into Shepard's skull. It would destroy her free will, truly make her into the tool that she was supposed to be. The Illusive Man would be furious, but perhaps it would be worth it if it meant that the asari couldn't have her. But just like everything Miranda held dear at one point in her life, she pushed this notion aside. Forced the feelings away. Drove herself to exhaustion if it meant getting that bloody commander out of her head. Easier said than done.

What Miranda did not know was that Marlow was having dreams of her own. Broken images and hushed voices that were slowly becoming recognizable. Memories of pain and happiness, love and hatred, war and peace. But before the hazy edges became clearer, before Marlow was capable of discerning words and sounds, before the voices became recognizable, she dreamed of the color blue.


	3. Chapter 3

Haha, cool. I don't think I've gotten this many alerts and favorites this early in a story before. So, addressing one of the reviews I got: Miranda mentions her admiration for Shepard several times in the game, and many people talk about her devotion to Project Lazarus and the sheer amount of time she spent on it. I think that, given that level of both admiration and dedication, it would be easy for romantic feelings to arise, especially when you consider that Miranda was the one responsible for Shepard for two years. Anyways, that's my rationale for chapter two and why I involved her in it.

I'm having too much fun writing this. I think I'm just glad that I seemed to have found motivation again. Anyways, I know I sort of promised more variance, but we've got just a bit more angst to deal with before we get to fluffier, lighter stuff. Hopefully. ME2 didn't exactly make for a lovey-dovey Liara romance :( Inspired by Identikit - Radiohead

* * *

_Identikit_

Kasumi Goto has always prided herself on her ability to read people. Not just their emotions, feelings, or desires, but their very identities. She can see a broken heart, a hidden smile, a hundred words in a single gesture. It took her moments to figure out their preferences and opinions. That Yeoman on the Normandy might be the proclaimed psychological expert of the crew, but the thief knows that her natural intuition is far superior to whatever Kelly's method or means is.

This had, of course, come with no small amount of practice. Time had taught her how to read a smile, how to detect the flashing or darkening of eyes, how to notice the tightening of muscles or a drop in shoulders. Hell, even those romance novels that she collected and read over and over served a purpose other than killing time during the long flights. They provided nearly as much insight into the complexities of human nature as actual interaction did.

And, of course, Kasumi is a sucker for a love story.

So she's a romantic. A drama seeker. A gossip. The life of a thief is not exactly an easy one, even when acknowledging just how good Kasumi is at it, and the Normandy needs a bit of intrigue every now and then, considering the group of hard-asses the commander has recruited. Especially Marlow Shepard herself.

So it comes as no shock that, even with no prior knowledge of Commander Shepard's past relationships, she notices the light flush that tints the otherwise pale cheeks and the slight flicker of her normally unrelenting eyes when the Nos Astra concierge informs the group that a certain Liara T'Soni is awaiting them in her office.

They make a bee-line for the trading floor, and Marlow is walking even faster than usual. Even though Kasumi would not have minded admiring the gorgeous blue landscape and impossible architecture that extends into Illium's horizon from the vista, she is also unsurprisingly intrigued by the commander's sudden urgency, excitement and, incredibly, her nervousness. When they had first met, the woman had seemed so impossibly cold and ruthless. Nearly inhuman, especially by the thief's standards. Granted, the legendary Commander Shepard had never been praised for her kindness or empathy, but rather her fierceness and drive. This had been made even more obvious after seeing the commander in action at Donovan Hock's home. Seeing the renegade now, uncertain and actually showing some degree of emotion, it was enough to make Kasumi curious.

The secretary at T'Soni's door rose and nodded politely towards the group, but any words she said were ignored by Shepard as she walked right into the office, with Miranda and Kasumi at her back.

Kasumi saw it then, the sheer joy that finally penetrated Shepard's shell of steel. The slight but visibly obvious lifting at the corner of her lips and the way her eyes lit up as she looked upon Liara T'Soni for the first time in two years. Shepard opened her mouth to speak, but the cold words of the information broker before them broke the silence first.

"Have you faced an asari commando unit before?"

The asari's back was to them, and her tone was dangerous. Marlow suddenly froze, her spine stiffened and Kasumi watched her brow quirk in what seemed like confusion her words died on her lips.

Liara had still not noticed them, and continued to mercilessly threaten the human she spoke to through hologram. "Few humans have. I'll make it simple," she said, not even bothering to meet the face of the nervous looking man anymore, "either you pay me, or I flay you alive. With my mind."

Her final words were dark, and the call was quickly terminated. Shepard remained silent and still, her eyes still narrowed in uncertainty, but Miranda shifted on her feet and Liara turned towards the sound. The hardness in the asari's voice did not match the roundness of her pretty face, or the sudden transformation that changed her features entirely as she looked upon the commander.

"Shepard!"

Kasumi noted the complete shock and excitement in the voice that was so incredibly ruthless before, as well as the miniscule shift in Shepard's shoulders as she just barely relaxed. The asari's brows peaked and the tightness in her jaw released as she looked upon the commander. Miranda gave a small huff next to her. "Told you I'd get her back, Dr. T'Soni."

But Miranda's words were ignored entirely, and before the asari even took a step towards Shepard, Kasumi figured out the true nature of this strange relationship. The kiss was fierce but quick, and the asari ended it quickly, but Kasumi, as always, noticed the smallest of their hidden gestures. She watched the blue fingers lightly trace the glowing scars on Shepard's face in both concern and awe, the slight narrowing of her even bluer eyes as if she could not really believe that the commander was truly standing before her again. Kasumi could even feel the heat of jealousy radiating from the Cerberus operative at her side.

It was fascinating to her, really, watching this strange drama unfold. No one else did, but Kasumi Goto saw through Liara's facade of aloofness as she tried to rearrange her face into one of polite apathy. Even without the kiss, desire and disbelief was obvious in her eyes. She saw through Shepard's act too. All the previous shows of carelessness and steely resolve had crumbled under the gaze of her long-lost lover. Even the ice queen of Cerberus had not been able to avoid the thief's notice. Kasumi grinned under her hood, only half-listening to the strained, all-business conversation that had attempted, and failed, to replace the nearly oppressive angst in the office. _Joker will love hearing about this_, Kasumi couldn't help but think to herself, gleeful at the new material she got to share.

Even as they turned to finally leave, the air thick with reluctance and shoved down emotions, Kasumi could not help but think that this was far better than one of her romance novels.


	4. Chapter 4

Christ! What a pain in the freaking ass! I nearly trashed this part all together, except that there was so much emotion and whatever else happening that I really couldn't. Anyways, I'm still not happy with it but it will have to do. Luckily the next little part should be less of a problem. Hayling - FC Kahuna

* * *

_Hayling_

"Truck!"

"I know."

"TRUCK!"

"I KNOW!"

Liara shut her eyes tight and waited for the oncoming collision, but the taxi swerved sickeningly and soared past the flaming wreckage.

"There we go."

Liara's eyes flew open and she spun her head to face Shepard, whose eyes were locked on the space before her. "You're enjoying this."

Shepard didn't reply, but the tiny smirk on her lips and the fire in her eyes indicated that, yes, the psychopath was indeed enjoying herself. This, this is what Liara had remembered about her time with the commander. The thrill of battle and the fear that accompanied it. Recklessness and a little bit of a violent rush. Granted, Liara had never seen Shepard fearful before, but perhaps she was better than hiding it than others.

Either that, or the woman was truly crazy. Perhaps it didn't matter, because in this moment Liara felt more alive than she had in two years. It was almost as if Marlow had never died. They were together, chasing down the bad guys with Garrus laughing his ass off in the backseat of the car.

She was fighting again. Not sitting in her office making threats to people she'll never meet in person, not absentmindedly handing Nyxeris papers to file away, not wasting away in her apartment. She had a gun in her hands again. She actually _felt_ again. The newly rediscovered emotions were nearly too much to bare, as they brought too many memories of her former life to the surface, but a small part of the old Liara that still existed was definitely enjoying herself.

But two years of mourning cannot be undone so easily, and this cold reality came crashing back once Tela Vasir was dead. The battle was over, and now came the insufferable waiting while the next stage was planned. Liara paced back and forth along the balcony, her mouth running and her thoughts flying. Once again she felt helpless and useless. The adrenaline was dying and was swiftly replaced by a gnawing dread. She barely even noticed the woman who stood off to the side.

Marlow watched the asari pace back and forth in disbelief. It wasn't possible that Liara was saying the words she was saying now. This cold, ruthless machine was not the woman that Shepard remembered so vividly. She remembered kindness, empathy, innocence. Not... this. The Liara she knew would never so uncaringly throw away the lives of innocents just to get what she wanted. Unwillingly, she felt herself growing angrier as the asari continued to ignore her presence, and her jaw was clenched tight when the pressure finally became too great.

"Will you stop for one damn second?"

The harshness of Marlow's voice made Liara freeze, but when she turned to face the woman, it was only hurt that she saw in those gray eyes. The outburst seemed to surprise Shepard as well, as both were silent for a moment. When she finally spoke, her voice seemed barely controlled. "We will be jumping several lightyears. We have time to talk."

"About what?" Liara snapped, her tone holding more venom than she meant. Shepard's eyes were immediately narrowed and her lips twisted. But once again, the burst of fury seemed to die as the commander continued to look at Liara. "About us."

For a moment, the asari couldn't even meet Shepard's face. "Look.. I'm glad you're here, but-"

"Don't you dare."

"Shepard, please-"

"What?" she said, sneering and barely able to hide the frustrated anguish in her eyes. "Need me to run some more errands for you? Hack some more terminals?"

Liara felt tears spring into her eyes, and she struggled to keep them from spilling. "That isn't fair! You were dead!"

"Well here I am now!" Shepard said, her voice beginning to rise as she flung her arms out to the side. "You think I came here for Thane or Samara? I came here for you, Liara." Marlow jabbed a finger at the asari's chest and Liara felt her resolve crumbling. "I leapt out of that damn window to grab Vasir for YOU. And you know what, I'm tired of you pretending as if I'm not standing right in front of you."

"I'm not pretending anything! Isn't this what you would do? Feel no fear? Stay focused on the mission?"

Marlow's eyes narrowed even further. "No fear? You want to talk about fear? I thought you were dead when I saw the police at your apartment. I thought you were dead when that tower exploded. Never in my life have I been more afraid." Shepard was breathing heavily, and Liara watched as pain instead of anger became the primary emotion on Shepard's features. "And the mission? The mission was you, you damn fool. It was always about you. Not Feron or the Shadow Broker or revenge." She gave a small, bitter laugh. "Although I suppose that doesn't matter. Right now I'm just another one of your agents, aren't I?"

Liara's head flew up, the old tears mixing with newer, angrier ones. "You were dead!" she repeated, her voice nearly shrill. "I saw your body! You weren't there! You didn't see what you looked like! Cerberus made all these promises, all these guarantees, but they hadn't seen you yet. Not like I had."

Liara took a moment to catch her breath, but Marlow remained silent as she waited for her to continue. "And even if you did come back, what if you didn't remember me? What if they took that away, made you forget all about it? I couldn't go through that. I had to accept that I'd lost you."

Silence. Finally, the underlying reason for Liara's doubt and fear. Marlow was moved to speak, and when she did it nearly broke the asari's heart. "But you didn't, Liara. I'm right here. I'm not leaving again..."

Liara's chest constricted in pain, but she forced the nearly overwhelming wave of emotion down and shut her eyes for just a moment before finally meeting Shepard's equally pained face. She still did not have it in her to believe the woman's words. "I can't do this. Not right now. Please, let's just focus on rescuing Feron." It obviously wasn't the best thing to say, and it was stupid to mention Feron, because the hurt in the Shepard's eyes was suddenly equaled by what was obviously hot fury. But she didn't say a word, only shook her head in what was horribly similar to the gesture Liara had used after their kiss in her office. Swallowing the heavy lump in her throat, Liara watched as Shepard walked away, her fists clenched.

The asari turned for just a moment to look out across the towers and zooming shuttles as she forced the tears away. Her own words came crashing back down on her. They were cold, ruthless, calculating and so similar to what Shepard herself might have said while on a mission like this.

But they were not the words of the naive doctor she had fallen in love with.

Maybe Liara had not lost Marlow, but Marlow certainly felt like she had lost Liara.


	5. Chapter 5

Damn it. I'm counting down the chapters until I get to ME3, cause once again I'm not entirely happy with this, yet once again it was an event in-game that I really didn't want to ignore. I don't think that dialogue-driven pieces are my strong suit. But at least this is good practice. I know I'm making Marlow look like kind of a crier, but I think that, in-game, they really didn't make her emotional enough, especially when you consider just how weird and messed up the entire Liara romance is in ME2. God knows I was losing my shit during this scene. Anyways, so far I'm really happy with the interest I've gotten in this little story, and any comments/suggestions anyone has are more than welcome. I'm going to be out of town for the rest of today and Saturday, so I'm thinking the next update will be Sunday? Maybe Monday, we'll see. Enjoy, my lovely readers. Written to Knife - Grizzly Bear.

* * *

_Knife_

"Is this really what you want?"

The words were quiet, but the sadness and, more dominant, the disappointment, was thick in her voice. They both knew what this meant.

It meant that, in spite of all of this, Liara would still not be able to join Shepard back on the Normandy. Not that Shepard necessarily wanted her to, especially considering the nature of her mission, but now the possibility was completely dead. Liara wouldn't say it, it would only make it more painful, but more than anything she would have wanted to get back on that ship.

She fought to keep her eyes locked on the screens in front of her, struggling with the tightness in her own throat. "I can't throw this all away, Shepard. All of the Shadow Broker's contacts, his information network... I can use it to help you." But Marlow's continued silence only made her lungs tighter and the emotions more powerful. She was losing control. "With this I... I can..." Her voice broke and her vision became blurred by tears. "I..."

Feron cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable, but Liara did not hear what he said as he left the room along with Garrus, leaving the two women alone. It was finally too much to bear, and Liara felt the tears begin to flow freely. It was a pointless gesture, but she brought her hands to her face in a weak attempt to muffle the sob that wracked her body. But a gauntleted hand tempered by uncertainty softly touched her shoulder, and Liara spun to fall into Shepard's chest.

"Shhh. It's over." She whispered quietly, carefully embracing the sobbing asari in her arms. "It's over."

Marlow's own voice seemed strained, but nonetheless Liara felt herself immediately relax. Being this close again, feeling Marlow's hair on her cheek and smelling the human once more, it was too much for her to handle and she pushed herself back from Shepard's embrace only far enough to take the commander's lips into her own. She tasted blood on Shepard's mouth from the fight, but there was also that familiar tang that was so uniquely Shepard. But once more, the gnawing doubt ate at her resolve and she felt herself pulling away. "Look, it's been two years... we're different people-"

This time, however, Shepard fought back.

Gripping the asari's shoulders, Marlow looked straight into Liara's eyes with her own. "Don't you dare push me away again."

The pain in her voice felt like a knife in Liara's chest, and she froze. Shepard leaned in and kissed her fiercely, and even though Liara's fearful mind screamed for her to push away once more, it was her heart that won this battle. She leaned into the woman, fully letting go and forgetting completely the dead yahg in the room and the destruction around them.

When both finally pulled away, Liara was breathless but Shepard was openly smiling, her own cheeks damp with tears. Shaking her head, she finally slightly released the steel hold she had on the other woman's arms. "You know T'Soni, you're a real pain in the ass sometimes."

Liara let out a mixture of a small sob and a laugh, shaking her head as she untangled her arms. "I know, but... let's focus for just a second longer. I get the feeling that we have a lot of work to do." Pulling away again was nearly impossible, but this time it wasn't coupled with the notion that this kiss was their last.

It seemed unreal, standing here with all this knowledge before her, but even more unreal was the fact that, once again, Shepard stood at her side. The pain had vanished. The fear had disappeared. The horrible dread of wondering whether or not Shepard would remember her and still love her after two years had died as if it never existed. Liara was free from her binds.

"There's... there's so much," she said quietly, staring in awe at the screens before her as she tried to focus. Turning back to Shepard, she suddenly felt horribly overwhelmed. "I don't even know where to start."

Shepard smirked, taking a moment of her own to appraise the never-ceasing flow of information before them. Standing here with Liara, it was easy to forget that she had committed herself to what everyone called a suicide mission. And, to hell with it, she didn't want to remember that right now. Even more so, she didn't want to remind Liara of it.

"Why don't we start with a drink? Will you come back to the Normandy with me, just for a little while?"

The hope was so transparent in Shepard's voice that Liara nearly teared up again. Viewing this situation objectively, she really was too much of an emotional wreck at the moment to be able to truly focus on anything other than the commander at the moment. At least, this rationale seemed reasonable in her mind. Not that she was going to deny the fact that a drink and time alone with Marlow sounded like the best thing in the galaxy.

"I'd like that."


	6. Chapter 6

Woooo. On to slightly happier, fluffier times. Like I said there will be more of the variance that I promised once I've moved past ME2. The entire romance in this damn game is just one frustrating thing after another. Any grammatical errors/typos are mine. My dumb ass tends to rush through without ever managing to catch all the mistakes I made. By the way, lol at Kelly Chambers. Okay, I'll stop rambling. Fantasy - The xx

* * *

_Fantasy_

Liara crossed her arms over her chest, staring down the man in front of her. "I don't think it's really any of your business, Joker."

His face fell immediately and he spun away from the ship's controls for just a moment, leaving the flight to EDI. "Oh come on. You could at least tell me if you two are gonna act out some Vaenia scenes. I deserve that much, don't I?"

"Research would indicate that this is not an appropriate conversation topic, Mr. Moreau."

Joker ignored the AI but Liara rolled her eyes and spun on her heel, shaking her head and forcing a smile down. Behind her, she could hear the pilot's disgruntled mumblings. Honestly, it wasn't like she had to tell him anything. The man had a good enough imagination (or at least the extranet) to form his own inappropriate fantasies.

She walked down the length of the ship and offered only a tight nod to who she knew was the Normandy's Yeoman. She had seen Ms. Chamber's ridiculous flirting with the commander, thanks to the cameras she had everywhere in the Normandy, and even though absolutely nothing came of it, she still felt the need to make something clear to the woman. "Is Shepard in her cabin?" she asked, making a point to not ask permission. Kelly nodded politely, obviously expecting the asari, even if she wasn't happy about it. "Yes, her cabin is on the first-"

"Oh, I know where it is." she said, walking into the elevator without another word. Yes, it was stupid, but Liara suddenly felt very possessive of the commander. It seemed deserved though, considering what they had been through together. And she wasn't about to give her up after just getting her back.

The doors slid open and Liara walked on in, catching Shepard as she stood up from the drinks she was pouring. They both took a moment to appraise each other. Liara was back in her skintight dress, and Shepard was in a form-fitting Cerberus uniform that was so much more physically flattering than her armor. Even without any alcohol in her system, Liara had a fleeting thought that maybe Joker's indecent suggestion wasn't such a bad one.

Marlow smirked and handed Liara her drink. "I'm glad you came."

The asari smiled and took a sip, focusing for a moment on the welcome sting in the back of her throat. "Me too." They settled into a comfortable silence for a moment before Liara remembered the frame in her hand. "Here, I brought you this." Marlow raised an eyebrow and Liara saw her eyes widen as she looked at what Liara was offering her.

"It... took some digging, but I found your tags."

Apart from the scorched piece of armor in her apartment, this was the only memento Liara had of Shepard during their time apart. While it was difficult to let them go, it just seemed right to give them back to their original owner. Shepard stared at them in awe, and only then did Liara notice the heavy bandages around Shepard's left hand. "What happened?"

Marlow looked up at Liara in confusion, her other hand still holding the frame. "What?" Then her eyes followed Liara's and she broke a small grin. "Oh, broke my wrist when I punched the Shadow Broker. It's fine, really."

Liara winced. "I'm sorry about that. Though I doubt many people can say that they've punched a yahg in the face and lived to tell about it." Shepard let out a small laugh and placed the tags on her desk. "No kidding. And thank you, Liara. I never thought I'd see these again."

"Well..." the asari began slowly. "I really never thought I'd see _you_ again." She shook her head and stepped past Shepard, moving to stand in front of the window as fresh tears filled her eyes once more. The mood had shifted quickly. "Goddess... you were dead." It still seemed so impossible, hearing those words and knowing they were true. Liara didn't know it, but it was just as difficult for Shepard to accept it as well. God knows how many times so many other people had said those same words to her. Each time, they weren't any easier to hear. Marlow took a long drink before setting her glass down and turning to stand behind Liara. "I got better. I came back, didn't I?"

"But you're going to leave again," the asari snapped without malice, turning to face the human. "You're going into the Omega 4 relay... you're going on what everyone is calling a suicide mission."

Shepard was silent and Liara took a moment to try and appraise the woman's face. "Tell me the truth Marlow, how are you going to do this?"

Shepard immediately regretted setting her glass down, and instead of answering immediately she bent down to swallow another long drink. Liara saw the red disk behind her irises, the deep shadows around her eyes and the glowing scars that accentuated the gauntness of Marlow's cheeks. What was so terrifying was that in spite of Shepard's steely outward demeanor, she seemed to be deteriorating. However, while Liara saw the stress on Marlow's face, she didn't expect her to admit to it.

"Liara... I don't know. I don't know how I'm going to do this. I'm doing everything I can."

"That isn't good enough!"

Liara's outburst shocked Shepard, and the hand that had been moving towards her face so she could take another drink froze. Instead she focused on the fear on Liara's face. The asari swallowed a hard lump in her throat. "I've lost you once already. I mourned you for two years. If we are going to try this... I need a promise. I need to know you're coming back."

Shepard swallowed nervously. It was a promise she couldn't keep. Not when the rest of her crew was so convinced that they were going to die on this mission. "Liara-"

"Even if you survive, what do you see? What do you want out of this?"

Shepard unwillingly felt a small grin form across her face. Maybe it was the alcohol, but suddenly she was feeling brave. "Oh, I don't know. Marriage, old age... lots of little blue children." Marlow half-expected the asari to slap her, but instead she watched Liara's fearful expression turn into a tiny smile. "Then you have to promise me. Promise me that you will come back."

Marlow swallowed the last of her drink, and even though the wine was coursing through her veins, she saw Liara's face with incredible clarity. She saw the hope in her impossibly blue eyes, the expectant smile. The innocence that was beginning to arise once more.

Yes, for Liara T'Soni, Marlow Shepard would promise the galaxy.


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, sorry it took me quite a bit longer than usual to update. I had a bit of a personal crisis that needed to be dealt with. Plus I finally played ME1 (yes I'm an idiot for literally playing the whole trilogy backwards) BUT it gave me some insight into the backstory that I would have otherwise just watched youtube videos for.

Also, on another note, I have every intention of keeping this fic at a T. The only sexiness that will be in here will be only lightly implied or mentioned. HOWEVER I am planning on writing a smuttier one-shot featuring Shiala (the asari Thorian thrall from Feros) and FemShep, for those of you with naughtier desires. Also (possibly) a little Samara and/or Morinth thingy. My asari obsession cannot be sated, it seems.

So this part sucks. Sorry. It's short and rather rambly. But after this I'm heading into pre-ME3 stuff and I needed at least some kind of transition. Deal with me please xD Photograph - Flock of Seagulls

* * *

_Photograph_

The metal door slid shut with a quiet click and Shepard made a point to enable the locking device to her private cabin. The last thing she wanted right now was one more team member barging in with another problem to deal with. As thorough as she had been in finding peace for her crew, anything could happen. She had learned this the hard way.

She sighed and shut her eyes for a moment, leaning back against the cool steel. It was finally time. In two hours the Normandy SR2 would fly into the completely unknown death trap of the Omega 4 relay. The mission that everyone accepted as suicidal would start in true, and Marlow Shepard had spent the last several weeks making sure that every last member of her crew was ready to fight, and die, if necessary. No more emotional baggage. No more regrets. A completely clean and focused mindset.

So many of them had merely needed to let go. Samara and Morinth. Jacob and his father. Jack and the Teltin facility. Kasumi and Keiji. Garrus and Sidonis. Tali and her father. So much death and destruction for them to finally feel that they could fight and even perish with a clean mind. Only a few members had instead sought to rediscover their lost and loved ones just to have to say goodbye again, like Thane and his son, or Miranda and her sister. Despite the differences, each of these mercenaries, thieves, operatives and killers had all accepted their fate. And in this matter, Marlow Shepard felt no kinship, because goddammit if she wasn't coming out of this alive.

She had made a promise, and at the time it had seemed foolish to agree to such a seemingly impossible thing, but Marlow was going to live. She was going to live for Liara, for this little fantasy of hers that she had promised her. Blue children with Liara's round, sweet face and Shepard's steel gray eyes. A normal life and home (as normal as it could get) on Earth, or maybe Thessia. Growing old together. It was a silly dream but damn it if Shepard wasn't going to live it. Or at least try her hardest to achieve it.

Marlow walked over to the sink, and splashed water on her scarred face, grimacing slightly at the odd feel of the synthetic, glowing skin under her fingers. She stared into the reddened eyes, the deep bruises. Her actions and decisions had not been easy ones, and under the pressure she lived with, it was easy to lose sight of the good and honest path. The Butcher of Torfan had never been known as an avatar of the ideal paragon, but even the most ruthless of men she knew would have balked at the things she had done.

She shook her head, trying to get those thoughts out of her mind. It was too late now to focus on what she could have done differently. The only comfort she took in this was knowing that one woman's voice in the back of her mind had prevented her from being even colder and more merciless than she already was.

Liara's photo sat on her desk, facing the door so that it was the first object Marlow saw when entering her quarters. The impossibly bright eyes, the innocent smile, the light blush on her blue cheeks, they were all reminders of the promise Shepard had made to the asari and the promise that she had made to herself. She would survive, and when she did, she would live her life differently.

The woman in the photograph had given her reason to try again. Reason to survive this impossible mission. Reason to try to live her life with mercy and compassion once this was all over. She had made a promise. She was going to keep it.


	8. Chapter 8

Ahh thank you everyone for the kind reviews, alerts, favorites, everything. I really don't like authors who beg for reviews and the like, but I'll admit that they add a lot of incentive to write when you know that people are both reading AND enjoying your story. Not gonna lie, this part was difficult, and I'll apologize in advance for any technical/legal jargon and such that I may have gotten incorrect. I thought this would be interesting to write about since the time between ME2 and ME3 isn't spoken of in great detail in game, and Shepard's trial is barely mentioned about at all. So... yeah! Here it goes.

By the way, this idiot (me) mislabeled last chapter's song. It's Wishing, not Photograph. I say this because you guys are smart/good music tastes and I expect one of you to call me out on it otherwise xD Comeback Kid - Sleigh Bells

* * *

_Comeback Kid_

Liara T'Soni stood behind the control panel, facing the wall of monitors that dominated her ship. Covering the back wall, from top to bottom, was a large screen that was broadcasting the live tribunal of Commander Marlow Shepard. A heroine and savior, and now under trial for doing what no one else would do. Fighting what the Council had ignored and proving that there was something far more sinister out there than just collectors, rachni and geth.

When the asari had heard that Shepard had returned from the Collector homeworld, alive and mostly unharmed, the sheer joy that had filled her soul had nearly been overwhelming. She had no doubts about Shepard's ability, but a small part of her had expected the worst, just as she had for the two years prior to their reunion. She had prepared herself for Shepard's demise.

Not that it had been easy. Not a moment had passed that she had not wanted to contact Shepard and beg her to let her back on the Normandy, because dying with Marlow would have been so much better than losing her all over again. But the Commander had kept her promise to her, and she had lived.

But all of her triumphs and victories had not been enough to convince the Alliance that Shepard was not, as Khalisah al Jilani and most of the press had called her, a war criminal. Guilty of treason for her brief alliance with Cerberus. Of course, the Council's reaction had been expected. As a Spectre, Marlow had every right to do what she had done, but once her own species indicted her, the Council had no choice but to allow proceedings to continue.

They protect their own, as long as it does not inconvenience them.

Liara shook her head in disgust, annoyed and angry for a moment, but her attention quickly shifted back to the massive screen as a roar erupted from the crowd that stood outside the Alliance supreme court headquarters. The human reporter who was covering the trial spun excitedly, and the camera panned to a landing zone just off the main venue. An official Alliance shuttle landed, and the door had just slid open when the loud chants of "Shepard! Shepard!" filled the air. The woman stepped out and Liara couldn't suppress the small grin that replaced the worried expression on her face.

Marlow looked good, considering that she had just returned from what was the most dangerous and costly mission of her life. The scars were still visible, but her face was no longer hidden by a mask of uncertainty or exhaustion. Instead there was the familiar glare of steely resolve, fierceness, and even just a small hint of uncharacteristic optimism.

For just a moment Shepard looked straight into the camera, and Liara's heart seized as she felt, just for one fleeting instant, that Shepard could see her through the lens. It was silly, but Liara couldn't help but offer a smile. One that Shepard seemed to return.

She was escorted through the cheering crowd, up the stairs and into the imposing complex before the camera shifted back to the reporter, and Liara switched the channel. Standard asari or Citadel channels would not have access to the proceedings, but luckily for Liara, the Shadow Broker's ship had no issue decrypting the Alliance channel that broadcast and recorded the trial.

Marlow entered the room, with Captain Anderson standing near the doors. Apart from Marlow, Anderson, necessary officials and the Alliance judging council, the imperious chambers of the building were completely empty. It was a stark image, and Liara could not help but feel a small tinge of dread in the pit of her stomach.

The three judges stared down at her, and Liara could not help but detect anger mixed with regret in their faces. No doubt it wasn't easy presiding over the trial of one of their greatest. One of them, the elder gentleman, finally cleared his throat and began proceedings.

"Commander Shepard, you are here to stand trial in light of the recent events concerning the destruction of the collector homeworld through the Omega 4 relay, and your connections with the human terrorist organization known as Cerberus. The Alliance council has charged you with treason, Commander. How do you plead?"

Marlow met their faces with a defiant stare of her own. "I plead not guilty, your honor."

For two hours, Liara's eyes were locked on the screen. In spite of the harsh accusations and questions that were hurled at her, Shepard remained truthful, always providing eloquent and honest answers. Her reasoning was flawless, her rationale sound. The grim uncertainty that Liara had felt before slowly changed to cautious optimism. By the end of the session, no verdicts had been reached, but the Commander had a solid base to move forward with. As she left the room, the asari let out a huge sigh of relief. If Shepard could survive Saren and the collectors, she would make it through this sham of a trial.

As she exited the compound once more, throwing a cocky grin at the crowd, the cheers erupted anew, and the curve of a smile formed on Liara's lips. This was not the sort of battle that Shepard was used to. It was a war of words, not bullets or biotics, but she would emerge victorious, just as she always did.


	9. Chapter 9

Woooo big time jump. Onward to more exciting things. Like the annihilation of mankind and stuff like that. Thank you so much everyone for the alerts, favorites, reviews... everything, really. I'm having fun writing these! Wrote to Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode

* * *

_Enjoy the Silence_

"You don't believe in all this, do you?"

Shepard gave Liara a sideways glance, the hollowness and bitterness alike both barely hidden on her shadowed face. "Liara, I'm a soldier. I should be back on Earth, not flying around up here praying for a miracle while those bastards slaughter my people."

"Shepard-"

"I'm supposed to be their representative. This example to follow, and I leave them behind to die so I can beg for help from a Council that probably isn't going to do a damn thing. Again."

Her tone was clipped, anxious. Liara followed Marlow around the war table, working hard to keep up with the human's long strides. "You don't know that yet. They have to help. And they will once we show them this-"

The asari nearly brought up the Prothean blueprint on her omni-tool again, just as a reminder, but Shepard halted suddenly and spun to face the other woman. Her impatience and bitterness was clear in the tightness of her jaw and the narrowing of her eyes. "Have to help? When the hell did they help before? They stood there and did nothing while I chased Saren around and didn't do anything while the collectors were running free across the colonies! You can't seriously think that this time is any different!"

Liara stood silent, slightly taken aback at Marlow's harsh words. The Commander shook her head. "And now I have to go beg at their feet again just so my entire species isn't driven to extinction by the same god damn monsters that I've been screaming about for years now."

Marlow's biotics flared angrily for just a moment while she fought to keep her emotions under control, and she gave her shaking hands a hard stare as she tried to force them away. But it was a gentle hand on her shoulder that finally forced some of the tension and fury out of her body. Liara was staring hard into her eyes, her gaze unmoving for several minutes while Marlow's breathing began to slow. Suddenly filled with guilt for yelling at Liara, Shepard averted her gaze to the floor, but another hand on her cheek forced her to meet the blue eyes once more. "Look at me."

Shepard swallowed, letting her head relax slightly into Liara's hand as her fury sizzled and died. "Liara, I'm sorry-"

"Shh, listen." The asari's face was filled with incredible determination and honesty, and Shepard was silenced. "Listen to me. You'll get back to Earth on time. You'll destroy every last one of the Reapers, just like you promised you would. I know this because I know you. I know you won't stop until every last one is gone. And you, not the Council or Cerberus or anyone else, will save humanity, Marlow. I know it."

Shepard could not help but let a small grin form. "Haven't you become quite the optimist?" Liara returned a smile of her own. "Well, I have good reason, don't I?" she said, giving Shepard a pointed look.

She nodded, letting a cautious optimism overtake her anger with herself. "Yeah, Liara. You do."

Liara nodded and let her arms fall back to her side. For a moment, they just looked at each other. "I missed you, you know. I tried pretty hard to get a transmission across, or at least an email, but the encryptions that the Alliance put around your networks and address were... impressive."

Marlow grinned. "Well well. So even the mighty Shadow Broker has her limits."

"Don't push your luck, Commander."

The grin only grew when Liara crossed her arms in forced annoyance, but even she was struggling to keep the small smile at her lips at bay.

"I missed you too, Liara. And I really do hope you're right, about all of... this. You know." Marlow gestured at Liara's omni-tool, and Liara nodded in agreement. "I will be. I know it, I know this has to be the answer."

"You said back at the Mars Archives that knowing that I believed was enough? Knowing that I had faith in life was enough to keep you going? That goes both ways," Marlow said, locking eyes with Liara. "If you believe in these blueprints, and you believe that they can save us, then I believe in you."

Liara smiled and took Shepard's hands in her own. "It's at least worth trying, isn't it? Besides, this machine isn't going to save us. You are."

The shadow of uncertainty flitted over Marlow's features once more. The true, underlying darkness behind the threat they faced took the light from her eyes once more, but only for a brief moment while she forced another smile on to her face. But she was not fast enough, because Liara noticed it. But before she could say a word, Shepard was pulling away.

"I hope so, Liara." She swallowed hard, averting her gaze once more. "I'm going to go check on Ashley... make sure we have everything ready to present to the Council."

She was trying pretty damn hard to hide her fears behind the mask of command and action, but even she could not keep her feelings covered before Liara. Not that it mattered. Shepard was gone before Liara could stop her, already moving towards the next step in this plan of theirs.

It was time to move again, but as ready as Liara was, she would not have minded just one more moment of peace with her Commander. Just a few more minutes in the calm before the storm. After all the explosions, gunshots and screams, it had been nice to enjoy the silence.


	10. Chapter 10

I'm actually pretty excited about this one. I mean, who doesn't like Aethyta? She reminds me of those dads who sit their kids down and say "okay son, it's time for that sex talk again" and just keep going and going while the kid is sitting there wanting to die. So yeah, as usual thank you so so so so so much for everything. I lovee youu guyss. Come Undone - Duran Duran

* * *

_Come Undone_

"I respect you. That's why I'm going to give you about ten seconds to take back what you just said."

The voice was decievingly calm, but Matriarch Aethyta was more than capable of picking up on the very clear undertones of a threat in that sentence. Her eyes widened in shock for an instant but very quickly narrowed as she faced down her opponent. She lowered her own voice an octave as she placed her hands over the bar. "I think asari high command is the least of her worries, little miss Cerberus defector."

Marlow leaned forward slightly, staring hard into Aethyta's face. "You know just as well as everyone else why I did what I did. And don't change the subject. Father or not, I'm not letting you do a damn thing to her."

The Matriarch was silent for a moment. Marlow's jaw was clenched tight, and the faint red optics behind the steely irises and the lines of scarring that cut across her face made her look even more dangerous. Aethyta was suddenly absolutely positive that the woman before her would kill her if it kept Liara safe from harm. Disconcerting, but at the same time incredibly comforting. She relaxed her hands and slowly raised them up, backing off from her aggressive stance. "Maybe you're good enough for her after all."

Shepard didn't back off, and her face only slightly lost its threatening edge. She gave the asari a pointed look, and Aethyta caught on pretty quickly. "Look, I was told to keep an eye on her, but we're dealing with Reapers, Commander. I doubt they'll care what she's doing, and honestly I think they assigned me to this job just to get me the hell off of Illium. Anything to get my blue ass out of asari space." she muttered, grabbing a couple of glasses and pouring herself and Shepard a drink, completely out of habit. "So, if it makes you happy, I promise I won't let any harm come to her, as long as you promise me the same."

Her hoarse voice was trusting and had the underlying nervousness of a worried parent. Marlow finally relaxed, letting her eyes shift to Liara who sat staring off into the Citadel horizon. "I would never let anything happen to her." she said quietly, dropping her gaze and quickly knocking back her shot. The words were unnecessary for Aethyta, who saw the way that the human looked at her daughter. Marlow met her eyes once more, swallowing tight as the harsh alcohol burned her throat. "You know, I'm sure she'd love to meet you."

Now it was Aethyta's turn to look at Liara, and her hand absentmindedly went to rub the back of her neck in uncertainty. "I... don't think that's such a good idea."

Marlow pushed herself off from the bar before the Matriarch could protest. "I'll be right back." Aethyta was quick to swallow her own shot. Anything to settle her buzzing nerves.

Liara was still watching the Presidium traffic, a forgotten datapad hanging loosely from her fingers. Marlow took the chair next to her, a secretive but excited glint in her eyes. "So, that asari bartender over there-" Liara turned then to look at Marlow. "You mean my father?" Marlow's face immediately fell and Liara could not help but smile. "I'm a very good Shadow Broker, Marlow." The other woman shook her head slightly, leaning back in her chair. "I never get to surprise you with anything." Liara could not help but smile even wider as she watched the woman pout. "I know that the other Matriarchs sent her to spy on me."

Shepard nodded. "Yeah, but she also said that they are more concerned with the Reapers at the moment. She wants to meet you." Liara looked away, and in the exact same gesture Aethyta had used moments before, began to rub the back of her neck. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Liara."

"Oh, fine."

Both women stood up, the asari trailing slightly behind. Aethyta had been watching the exchange and smiled nervously as they approached. Marlow took a seat at the bar, giving the two space but still keeping an eye on the Matriarch. Liara crossed her arms, her face not showing any signs of emotion as she appraised her father. "Hello, Aethyta."

Aethyta didn't seem to mind the formality behind Liara's words and grinned. "Hey kid." They both shifted nervously, falling silent while Marlow watched, throwing them an amused glance.

"Is the bar bugged?" Liara suddenly asked, feeling with her fingers under the edge of the counter while Marlow struggled to not spit out her drink. Aethyta raised a brow. "No, it's not. But come on, you can't blame the Matriarchs for wanted me to keep an eye on you, Shadow-"

The quick protests from Liara and Shepard alike silenced her and she pursed her lips. Liara gave her a look. "I am not my mother. And being... an information broker has nothing to do with anything."

Aethyta gave Liara a look of her own. "Oh really? I seem to remember you threatening to flay someone alive with your mind."

Liara suddenly looked flustered and Marlow had to stifle a snicker. "I had to make them take me seriously! And besides, how did you... you..."

As the revelation crossed over her face, Liara's eyes narrowed almost dangerously and her voice fell an octave. "...you bugged my office in Illium, didn't you?" It wasn't a question, but Aethyta gave a small shrug. "That would be the logical conclusion, wouldn't it." Liara was about to retort but a quick beeping along with Marlow's stream of curses interrupted her. "God damn it." The human muttered as she looked furiously at her omni-tool, which was flashing urgently. "They always need me for _something_ around here." She looked at Liara then, her eyes apologetic but still flashing angrily. "I'm sorry, Liara, I need to take this. I'll see you later."

Liara watched her walk off, her own emotions suddenly flaring slightly. Marlow never got a break, even on shore-leave. She sighed and turned to face Aethyta once more, suddenly feeling far more nervous that Shepard was no longer here to bolster her confidence.

"You know, never thought I'd say this about a human, but I like her. Even though she's got a big stick up her ass. You've got a good one, kid."

Her words almost sounded reluctant but Liara raised a brow. Hearing Aethyta say that after Marlow had basically just threatened her life was comforting in an odd way. "I know."

"She looks like hell though."

Liara felt that guilt again, the same guilt that had been plaguing her since Earth was attacked. Marlow was always fighting something. There was always another battle, always another war. Not once had she lived in a time of peace. And Liara had tried to help, whether it was fighting at her side as they shot their way to victory or comforting her after another planet fell.

But there was always so much to do. Always another agent to account for. Always more shipments to make to the Crucible. She had tried, but once again that harsh gauntness had settled over Marlow's features. She always looked so tired, and never was she given a moment to rest.

"I know," Liara repeated, her tone flat. Aethyta gave her a rather scandalous look then, almost as if she could read her daughter's mind. "You know, there are ways to get her mind off of things."

"What?" Liara asked, but realization quickly dawned on her face as Aethyta continued to grin at her. "That, that isn't... this isn't any of your business!"

"Oh come on. Don't tell me that this daughter of mine is some kind of prude." Liara was gaping but Aethyta remained oblivious. "Throw her down. Be aggressive. Tear that uniform off. You wouldn't _believe_ what good sex can do for a person. She just needs to come undone, you know?"

"Stop stop stop," Liara said, shaking her head and holding her hands over her ears. "I am _not_ having this conversation with you. My... this... my sex life is none of your business."

Aethyta rolled her eyes but didn't say anything as she went to wipe off the counter, and Liara was just about to thank the Goddess that she had finally dropped the subject when the Matriarch dropped her rag and gave her one last filthy grin. "I'm just saying, if it's all civilized, you're doing it _wrong._"


	11. Chapter 11

Have no fear, lovely readers. Aethyta will be making plenty of appearances. I can't leave my second favorite asari out, after all. Uh and for some reason my document uploader was being weird so if the formatting or anything looks different... sorry? I'm not sure what the deal is. And I'm not sure how many of you play this game the renegade way, but hell if they don't do an excellent job of making your character look like the walking dead. They Don't Sleep Anymore On the Beach - Godspeed You! Black Emperor

* * *

_Sleep_

The ceaseless chattering of Glyph, once an annoyance, had merely become a part of the Normandy's own song, and Liara found it increasingly easy to ignore the info drone and go about her business. Her eyes scanned her latest reports from various agents: successful shipments to the Crucible, colonies evacuated, even an update from Feron stating that he had managed to salvage a fair amount of tech and resources from the wreckage of her previous ship. So engrossed was she in the never-ending blocks of text that she jumped and nearly yelped when her omni-tool beeped politely, effectively breaking the silence with an oncoming message. Her brief annoyance with the interruption quickly shifted as she looked at the unrecognizable signature.

"Liara, could you please meet me in the med bay for just a moment? I won't take too much of your time."

Dr. Chakwas must have assumed that Liara had her identification in her omni-tool, but nonetheless she felt a touch of dread as she spun on her heel and left the fortress of her private quarters. The doctor was at her desk, her back facing the door when Liara rushed in. "What's wrong?"

Chakwas quickly stood and offered Liara an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry dear, I didn't mean to alarm you at all. There's nothing wrong. Nothing serious. I just needed to speak with you for a moment. It's about the Commander-"

"Is she hurt? I haven't seen her since the last mission and-"

The doctor's smile grew but she placed a comforting hand on the asari's shoulder, silencing her. It was the touch that doctors used when delivering bad news, and Liara felt her stomach clench. "Shepard is fine. Physically, that is." Chakwas removed her hand and folded both of them in front of her, her expression becoming one of concern. "I'm more worried about her... mental state." She moved slightly closer to Liara and lowered her tone to a whisper as the hints of the smile that had remained disappeared entirely. "If she keeps this up, this level of stress... she isn't going to make it. Her body cannot physically handle it."

And there it was. The bitter truth that Liara had wanted to deny. To her, and many other people, Shepard had always seemed like a god. Undefeatable. Immortal. A race all her own. But the harsh reality is that Marlow Shepard is human. An exceptional one, but nothing more. One would have thought that death would have taken this notion away, but all her revival had done was strengthen the legend tenfold. Liara had convinced herself that if Marlow could defeat death once, she could do it again.

But she can't. And these were the simple, cold facts that only a medical mind could have told her. But even Chakwas, who was so used to death and loss herself, could not hide the traces of sadness in her eyes. "I didn't bring you in here so you could blame yourself, Liara. We are all dealing with our own burdens and pains, but I'm afraid that the Commander's are too much for her to handle alone. She hasn't responded positively to any of the medication I've prescribed her, and anything stronger could be dangerous. You are the only thing I haven't tried."

Liara looked up from the floor then, her own eyes narrowed in confusion. "Me? Doctor, I've tried everything. I don't know how to help her either." She felt so helpless in that moment that Liara was forced to clench her jaw tight to keep her eyes from watering in frustration.

"Liara, all she needs is sleep. And I've done everything I can short of forcing her to take a sedative."

Sleep. That was all. It sounded so simple, yet _nothing_ with Marlow was ever simple.

But Marlow had never given up on her, even when she herself would have, and damn it if she was going to turn around and do it to her now.

"I'll try, Doctor."

The door slid open quietly, and Liara was greeted with the scene she had expected as she took the elevator up to Shepard's quarters. Marlow was sitting up in bed, her shaking hands holding her own head in white-knuckled frustration. When Liara walked in, Marlow immediately looked up and tried to smile. "Hey, Liara. You need something?"

For a few moments Liara could not speak. In the harsh light of the Normandy, every mark and shadow could be seen. Her voice was so tired and empty. The blackened circles around her gaunt cheeks and eyes only made the scars and red irises glow brighter in the darkness of the room. Even from the door, Liara could see the hard lines of tension in Marlow's shoulders and arms. She looked like a woman on the verge of disintegration.

And this was only the physical imagery. Liara, through past meldings, could feel the faint stirrings of fear, horror, dread, and worst of all the hints of hopelessness. Shepard had just woken up from a nightmare.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Marlow only looked confused for one moment before she realized what Liara was talking about. She looked away, her eyes staring out of the window as she swallowed down the emotions threatening to break her. "I don't... I don't know if I can yet."

Her voice was quiet and strained, and Liara only nodded. "Okay."

Then she didn't say another word, only moved so that she lying next to Marlow, her arm encircling the other woman's waist. The doubt and crushing helplessness melted as Marlow relaxed beneath her, her muscles loosening and her eyes slowly falling shut as she stared into the asari's face. Liara felt both relief and pride as the steady waves of sleep overtook them both, for she had done what no one and nothing else could do.

For that one night, the cold, gray forest was not the setting of Shepard's dreams. She did not hear the whispers of the dead and damned. Ash did not fall like snow from the blackened sky to land on Marlow's cheek. That little boy did not stare into her face, unmoving as he burned away. Instead she found herself locked in a warm embrace of deep blue.


	12. Chapter 12

Meh I'm sorry I'm updating a bit slower than normal. I just got the From Ashes DLC and wanted to play some of that in the hopes that I could maybe write a story based on Javik and all that jazz. Plus I wanted to play through the extended cut ending and maybe get some inspiration but screw it I'll do it later. This is just a little space-filling nonsense anyways. I wanted to pick on Mr. Jimmy Vega a bit. Thank you everyone for the continued reading, support, reviews, everything! Bigmouth Strikes Again - The Smiths

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_Bigmouth Strikes Again_

Steve Cortez winced as he pulled his hands from the underbelly of the shuttle, shaking the sting away as the pain subsided. After Vega's little stunt on Mars, Cortez was still having to deal with repairs. Granted, most of them were minor and mainly superficial, but Cortez had one job: maintain the shuttle, and he planned on doing it well. Even if it meant cramming his arms into places they weren't supposed to fit.

As he pulled himself up from under the shuttle, he couldn't help but throw James a bit of a dirty look. Not that Vega noticed. Cortez took a long swig of water and was about to return to the shuttle when he suddenly noticed just how silent the bay was. Normally Vega never shut up, yet at the moment he was dead silent. Suspiciously silent.

"Vega, what gives?" Cortez called from the across the bay, wiping his oily hands on a rag. "Still not feeling too good after last night?" He was of course referring to James' recent habit of cleaning off the better half of a bottle of tequila every couple of nights, but James only laughed and shook his head. "Nah man. I was just thinking."

Garrus, who had been standing at the requisition terminal filling in some orders for machine parts, couldn't hold back a snort. "Jimmy Vega? Thinking? Wow, send a message to the presses."

Vega rolled his eyes. "The phrase you're looking for is, 'stop the presses', you oversized chicken." Garrus gave him a confused look. "I still don't know what a chicken even is."

"Forget it," Vega said, waving his hand dismissively and picking up his rifle to clean it. Cortez dropped his rag on his workbench and leaned against the side of the shuttle, crossing his arms over his chest. "Please, enlighten us, Mr. Vega. What were you contemplating? The limits of individuality? Mans inhumanity to man? The existence of alternate planes of reality?"

"Perhaps the meaning of life?" Garrus offered, working hard to hold back his laughter.

James either ignored their obvious jibes or didn't even notice it. "Nah man... I was thinking... who do you think is on top? Shepard or Liara? You know... when they're doing it."

Silence. Cortez stared slack-jawed at Vega while Garrus raised a hand to rub his eyes in exasperation. "And here I thought we might get to discuss something... intelligent for once."

"Oh come on," Vega said, turning around to face them. "You have to admit, you're curious. I mean, how does that even work?"

Cortez narrowed his eyes at the man and gave him a chastising grin. "Well, James. When a human and an asari love each other very much-"

"Oh cut the shit Cortez. You know what I mean. Isn't there some crazy biotic thingy involved? Like... mind-reading but while you're naked?"

Garrus shook his head and diverted his gaze back to the terminal. "You've been spending way too much time talking to Joker, Jimmy Vega. And don't pretend that you spend your time on the extranet looking up cute pictures of kittens and baby rachni."

Vega gave both Cortez and Garrus a wide-eyed look "The hell is wrong with you two?"

Steve picked up his rag again, moving behind the shuttle to work on the thrusters. "Are you asking us why we don't spend our time formulating inappropriate fantasies about the Commander and Dr. T'Soni?"

"Why wouldn't you spend your time doing that?"

Both the turian and the shuttle pilot gave James an incredibly pointed look. It only took him a moment to get their implications. "Okay Cortez, you I can understand. But come on Scars. It's not like turian women are all that good looking."

Garrus raised a brow and clicked his mandibles quietly. "Have you ever even seen a turian woman?"

"Well, if they look anything like you..."

This time the clicking sounded like a warning, and Cortez dropped that line of thought. "Damn, fine. But that's still no excuse."

"We aren't all sixteen year old, hormone-crazed children, Mr. Vega," Cortez muttered, his attention so focused on his task that he didn't notice the elevator doors slide open with a quiet whoosh. Vega had turned back around and was shaking his head in disappointment. "Fine, man, think whatever you want, but you two lonely losers still didn't answer my question. Who do you think gets on top? I'll bet 20 credits it's Shepard."

"Vega, think you can save the gambling for the Citadel?"

James Vega's face flared up scarlet red as soon as he recognized the voice of the woman who spoke behind him. A more primal drive was telling him to run away as fast as he could, but with no small amount of horrible embarrassment he forced himself to turn and face Marlow Shepard.

"Uh, I... I didn't... I just!"

She raised an amused brow, oblivious to Cortez and Garrus as they doubled over in nearly painful laughter. She remained cruely silent while Vega struggled to formulate a single, coherent word.

"I was... oh, shit."

"Oh shit?"

"Uh... Oh shit, _ma'am._"

She gave a wicked grin. "That's what I thought, Vega."

He remained completely silent until she left, waiting to unleash his fury on the two other men until he was positive that Marlow was long gone. "What the hell! Why didn't anyone tell me she was in here?"

Cortez gave him an apologetic grimace. "I didn't see her. Sorry man."

"God damn it."

"Vega," Garrus said, looking up from the terminal with an amused smile, if one could call it that. "Still so sure about that bet of yours?"

"Shit, now I'm even more sure. Anyone want to take me up on this? I'll raise to 50 credits."

Garrus crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing in challenge. "You're on."

Cortez gave them both incredulous stares. "You two are idiots. How are you going to prove it either way? It's not like either one of them is just going to tell you."

Garrus and James both looked at each other for just a moment before coming to the exact same conclusion:

"EDI."


	13. Chapter 13

Ahhhhhhh thank you everyone for the reviews and support and all that! Uh this took me ages to write cause I had the idea but I had no plot so it just rambles on painfully since I never really figured out a good way to end it but oh well.

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"You okay?"

Liara looked up from the front of her dress as she nervously smoothed down her front once more, eyes nervously scanning the courtyard next to Apollo's Cafe. "I... I don't know. Marlow, what if she doesn't like me?"

Marlow snorted, blowing a wayward strand of honey hair into her face in the process. "I don't care if she likes you or not."

"You're lying. Why would you want me to meet her otherwise if you didn't really care?" Liara deadpanned, giving Marlow a hard look. Marlow tried to hide a guilty grimace but failed, instead grabbing the asari's hand in her own and giving it a quick squeeze. "Liara, she's going to love you. I know she is. And I wanted her to meet you because... I don't know if or when I'll get to see her again after this."

Now it was Liara's turn to feel guilty. Marlow hadn't seen her mom face to face in years, and obviously Liara being there meant a lot to her since she had insisted on her presence. "You're right. Besides, you've met my parents... kind of. I'd love to meet yours."

Marlow gave her a grin of relief, although she was pretty sure that her battle with Benezia wasn't a typical 'meet the parents' type of situation. "Well, I'm afraid you won't get to meet dad, but I really think you'll like mom. I hope you do."

Liara returned the smile, reaching over to brush some of Marlow's hair off of her face. "If she's anything like you, I'm sure I will."

Marlow looked around the Presidium, eyes scanning for her mother's face when her omni-tool pinged. She looked at the screen and her lips curled upward in an amused grin. "She got lost, like I figured she would. I'll be right back."

Liara watched Marlow's retreating form, hands never ceasing to wring the front of her dress in nervousness. She was so preoccupied that she didn't even hear the light scratch of metal as the chair next to hers slid out and a purple-tinged asari took her seat. "What the hell is up with you?" Aethyta asked, giving her daughter a crooked and somewhat disapproving stare when she didn't answer. "You're gonna put a hole in that damn dress. Stop messing with it."

"I have to meet Marlow's mother and I'm scared that she'll hate me." Liara blurted, giving Aethyta an incredulous look. The Matriarch merely looked offended. "What the hell? You're meeting her mom and I wasn't invited?"

"Well, I didn't want her to be overwhelmed! Besides, I figured you'd be working." Liara said, mostly dishonest. After the Cerberus invasion, Aethyta had been taking a more active role in the war and Liara had hoped that she wouldn't even be at Apollo's Cafe that day. Apparently she'd been wrong.

"You're an awful liar. Whatever, I'll just meet her now."

Liara shook her head quickly, her eyes widening. "You can't! Marlow hasn't even seen her in years, and-"

"Too late." Aethyta said with finality, tilting her head sideways at the stairway that led down into the Presidium proper. Liara's view shifted towards the two humans that approached and nearly had to do a double-take. The similarities between Marlow and Hannah Shepard were striking. While Hannah's hair had begun to gray out, strands of honey-blond were still clearly visible. While her eyes were light blue as opposed to gray, both mother and daughter shared angular features. Marlow was taller and longer than her mom, but otherwise it was plainly obvious which parent had passed on the dominant genes. The pit of Liara's stomach dropped in a sudden rush of nerves as they approached the table, and she felt dizzy as she lurched up from her seat to greet them.

Marlow gave Liara a quick, reassuring smile which seemed to falter just slightly when she noticed Aethyta, but she swiftly recovered. "Liara, Matriarch Aethyta, this is my mom, Hannah Shepard."

Hannah's appraising stare of Liara was hawkish. Critical. Very much the same look that Marlow had given her when they met on Therum. Nonetheless, she offered a hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Liara. Marlow can't get through a call without mentioning you." Liara gave her a tiny smile, not sure if the comment was meant to be a compliment or not. "It's wonderful to meet you too, Rear Admiral. This is my father."

"Call me Hannah," the woman said, her tone quick and clipped. She met Aethyta's face and her ice blue eyes narrowed just the slightest. The parental stand-off, as ancient as the galaxy itself, was taking place, always hinged on the eternal question of "is your child good enough for my child." Between the aggressive Matriarch and the militaristic human, both Marlow and Liara could feel a potentially dangerous situation brewing, but Hannah broke her stare after a few tense moments. "A pleasure, Matriarch Aethyta." Her gaze quickly shifted back to the younger asari, and the look of appraisal returned. Liara felt like she would shrivel up to nothing under that glare, in spite of the fact that it was so familiar on her face.

In that moment, Liara suddenly understood what it was like for other people when they dealt with Marlow. She had always taken the Commander's rather gentle treatment of her for granted, never quite realizing just how drastic the other side was. Until now, at least.

But the look Hannah was giving her was odd. Almost surprised. The asari had no idea what to say to the woman, but it seemed that she didn't have to worry for long. "You look young. Too young for children." She turned to look at Marlow. "I was hoping you'd get me some grandkids _before _the galaxy goes extinct."

Liara gaped open-mouthed at the woman but Marlow and Aethyta merely snorted in laughter. "Oh. I- I'm older than I look, Hannah."

"It was a joke, Liara," Aethyta muttered, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand before grinning at Hannah. "And I wouldn't worry, Rear Admiral. These two kids go at it like rabbits."

The simultaneous slam of two glasses on the table nearly shattered the quiet ambience of the cafe, and the blood drained from both Liara and Marlow's face as they stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the grinning Matriarch in absolute embarrassment and disbelief. But to their total shock, Hannah was nearly doubled over in laughter. "Thank god. I thought Marlow would never meet someone who'd deal with all her bullshit." Marlow quickly worked to pull herself back together as she gave her mother an incredulous look. "What the hell?"

"Oh please. I can barely deal with you. I'm just glad that you've found someone that can. And will." Hannah said, nodding at Liara, who's face was now flushed deep purple.

"Trust me, I thought I'd be dealing with the same problem with this one." Aethyta said, eyes shifting to her daughter. "Thought she'd die alone and in one of those damned dig-sites of hers." Now it was Liara's turn to be offended. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, father," she murmered as a fresh wave of embarrassment flooded over her. Hannah grinned at Aethyta across the table, picking up her glass and holding it into the air. "To our children finally getting their shit together."

Aethyta picked up her glass and clinked it against Hannah's, returning the grin as the two parents ignored the mortified and offended glares of their daughters. "I'll drink to that."


End file.
